Laughter and Milestones....

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.

-           Victor Hugo

 

A great day on Tuesday…we took it easy and did some shopping at the local jade market for some local treasurers for our daughter to have from her region of China.  Most importantly, we are finally seeing our little girl come out of the scared, shocked shell she has been in from the moment she came to us.  For those of you not familiar with adoption….the children often have a difficult time with attachment and bonding with their new parents and family.  Imagine…you are two years old…you have been living with the same friends and caregivers all of your life…then one day strangers show up and take you from all of that…strangers who are a different color, speak a different language, eat different food, wear different clothes, and even smell different…take you to a hotel that has air conditioning…keep trying to kiss you, dress you up in nice clothes, bows in your hair, different shoes and over-feed you……Maddie has done relatively well despite this very scary event in her life…really scary!!!  The good news is she lets us both hold her…and loves playing with her brother!! 

 

The best news of today is…we got some real laughs…not just half smiles…but real playful, belly laughs…she loves tickles, loves playing…However, she is still very fragile and needs Mommy to help her sleep at night…because nighttime when she starts to think about her loss, and the distraction and bustle of the day is over, it's back in this room with the strange people and different life…But that is ok, the fear is good, not because we want her to be scared…but it shows there is a child inside whose soul is conscious of what she has lost…What is also good is she seeks us for comfort…snuggles…and is starting to see she has a Mommy and Daddy here for her, she is beginning to understand we will take care of her forever…and that gives her the security and comfort she needs. The journey of adoption is different than the natural process of the birth of child…but no less special…the journey is difficult…but to watch our daughter become one of our own, the work involve…the trust developed…and the extra love expressed…is a miracle that cannot be described…it's a journey of faith, family, courage and love.

 

Please check out some pics above…Again thank you all for sharing this journey and your kind words…we can't wait for you all to meet Maddie!  She is our second miracle…the first being our son Anthony…

 

Stayed tuned…another week and half in China…more stories and pics to come!

 

Love the DePrince's,

Anthony, Rebecca, Anthony and Madeline